Avant Gardens
Avant Gardens is a chunk of the planet Crux that was once peacefully controlled by the Nexus Force until an accident during an experiment on the deadly Maelstrom Spider Queen at the Paradox Research Facility in the area unleashed the Maelstrom into the area, corrupting most of the researchers and security mechs at the facility, turning them into Stromlings. Shortly after the explosion, Nexus Force recruit refugees that escaped the corrupted Venture Explorer arrived and helped contain some of the Maelstrom. Avant Gardens is also home to an Assembly Monument construction project and is the main outpost of the Sentinels, not counting Nexus Tower on Crux Prime. History Avant Gardens was once apart of the complete planet Crux. It was described as a beautiful place for minifigs to hang out at. It was a large park and home to the famous one-man band Friendly Felix. Buffalos, Triceratops, and Dobermans were also native to Avant Gardens and the surrounding area. Post-Explosion Following the explosion of Crux due to the Maelstrom, Avant Gardens remained largely ignored by Maelstrom. The few pockets that existed were quickly destroyed by the Nexus Force. However, a small concentration of the Maelstrom remained in an underground mine. Seizing the oppertunity, the Paradox faction built a research facility to experiment on the Maelstrom. They experiments were very successful and provided the Nexus Force an insight on the dreaded Maelstrom. In early 2010, the Assembly faction began constructing a massive monument dedicated to the minifigs that have fought against the Maelstrom. By October of that year, most of the minifig part of the Monument had been constructed. The Assembly also promoted the purchase of the many property worlds in Avant Gardens' orbit. Battleground Also in 2010, the Paradox began attempting to create their own Maelstrom creatures. Due to the extreme danger of the experiments, the Paradox set up Security Mechs around the facility to keep unauthorized personnal away and to keep the artificial Stromlings inside. They managed to create several Dark Spiderlings. However, the experiments went horribly wrong and created a massive spider similar to appearance to the dreaded Spider Boss created by Baron Typhonus himself. The massive spider's creation caused an explosion in the facility, corrupting all the scientists and mechs into Stromlings. The Spider Queen and her Dark Spiderlings quickly fled the Paradox Research Facility into the Spider Cave deep within the Maelstrom Mine. Not every researcher was infected though. Wisp Lee, a Paradox researcher, managed to escape. His eye was severely injuried and his body was bruised heavily. His hands were also infected with the Maelstrom. He and PRDX-4, the sole surviving Security Mech, quickly sent for help. While PRDX-4 went to warn the minifigs at the Monument and Launch Area of the danger, Lee sent a distress call to the Nexus Force. The Sentinel Starfleet quickly arrived and established a camp not far from the research facility. Led by Commander Beck Strongheart, the Sentinels began a fight to retake control of Avant Gardens. The Sentinels managed to quickly contain a frequent spawn area for Stromlings, cutting down on the number of Stromlings they were forced to fight. The Sentinels also set up satelitte dishes that, when activate, would penetrae the Maelstrom in the atmosphere and allow the Sentinel Starfleet to bomb the battlefield. Only a few hours later, the Venture Explorer, on its way to Nimbus Station, was attacked by the Maelstrom. Captain Sky Lane to make contact with the Sentinels, but Commander Strongheart was unable to send reinforcements to the ship. Lane, bridge lieutenant Bob, and a Nexus Astronaut began a mass evacuation to Avant Gardens. Wisp Lee quickly directed the recruits to Epsilon Starcracker, who equiped them with weapons to help out the Sentinels' battle. Several recruits were killed by Stromlings on their way out of the battlefield. However, most of the recruits managed to make it to the Launch Area and escaped Avant Gardens to Nimbus Station. Many of the recruits would eventually return to continue the fight against the Stromlings. In 2011, much of the Maelstrom on Avant Gardens was undercontrol by the Sentinels and Paradox. The Nexus Force learned of several important files left on the Venture Explorer and established a launch pad on Avant Gardens so Nexus Force members could return to the Venture Explorer to fight back the new Stromlings. The contained Maelstrom spawn area near the Sentinel camp became a training site for Nexus Force members to hone their skills against endless waves of Stromlings. Spider Queen Attacks In late July 2011, the battle against the Maelstrom in Avant Gardens was going extremely well. However, the Nexus Force discovered the Spider Queen and her Dark Spiderlings have rebuilt an abandoned launchpad deep within the Maelstrom Mine, inside the Spider Cave. Using the launchpad, the Spider Queen traveled to a Block Yard property and took it over. The large amount of Maelstrom in the Block Yard property caused a massive Maelstrom cloud to appear over the Launch Area. In response to the takeover, the Nexus Force speed up the development of new Faction specialties to help fight the Spider Queen. Also, due to the high number of non-faction members and weak minifigs in Avant Gardens, the Nexus Force began distrubting trial gear to help weak minifigs fight the Dark Spiderlings. On August 9, 2011, shortly before the attack on Block Yard, the Spider Queen attacked and killed Venture League scout Kit Wanderwhere. The Nexus Force, furious at the death of the scout, began sending soldiers into the Spider Cave to launch to the Spider Queen-controlled Block Yard. The Nexus Force also beginning giving new recruits in Avant Gardens Rank 2 gear to help fight the Spider Queen. Spider Queen killed and corrupted hundreds of Nexus Force members, but the Spider Queen was forced of the property, severely weakened. The cloud over Avant Gardens disappeared, and the Nexus Force assumed all was well. However, the cloud soon returned, and the Nexus Force confirmed that the Spider Queen had moved to another property. The Nexus Force found her and battled her again and again she escaped to fight another day. The Nexus Force's new primary mission in Avant Gardens is to trap the Spider Queen and kill her. As of October, the Spider Queen remains at large. Assembly Surveyor Vector Longview became one of the many few to change her faction. She changed to a Venture League Scout to replace the deceased Kit Wanderwhere. The Final Battle In early November, both the Nexus Force and the Maelstrom began to prepare for a final battle between each other. The Darkitect began to pull most of the Stromlings in Avant Gardens into the Spider Cave to prepare, forcing all Paradox mining activity to be put on hold. The Spider Queen also fled the Block Yard properties and returned to the Spider Cave. With the Stromlings gone, the Nexus Force in the area quickly rebuilt the Paradox Research Facility and redesigned it as an outpost to command the Nexus Force in the area. The Assembly postponed their Monument project and help build proper defenses around the Sentinel Encampment to protect the Monument and Launch Area from Stromling attacks. Trenches and traps were also set around the entrance to the Spider Cave to hopefully cut down the number of Stromlings to fight when the battle began. In mid-January 2012, concerns rose over the Stromlings trapped in the Survival area would flood into the Sentinel camp. The gates seperating the camp and Survival was equipped with new defenses. However, Stromlings suddenly began attacking, killing most of the workers and leaving the defenses incomplete. The Stromlings continued forward to the camp. The gate was quickly closed and many Stromlings were smashed by Sentinel snipers. Despite the effort, the Stromlings continued to storm the gate. More snipers mounted the gate and shot down the Stromlings, but they continued to emerge from the Spider Cave. On January 30, 2012, just one day before the Nexus Force intended to strike against the Maelstrom, a massive army of Stromlings, led by the Spider Queen herself, emerged from the Spider Cave and officially began the Battle for Crux. The traps around the cave saved the Nexus Force, as they were unprepared for the attack. The Sentinel Encampment's gate was then destroyed and the Survival Stromlings swarmed into Avant Gardens. Wisp Lee, Commander Beck, and Epsilon Starcracker fiercely led the Nexus Force against the Stromlings. The the soldiers easily defeated the Stromlings. However, when one Stromling was defeated, three took its place. The Nexus Force was corned in the battlefield as the Sentinel Camp was taken over, prevent escape to the Monument. At the Monument, Stromlings were met with a barrage of Engineer turrets and sniper fire from Sentinels perched on the Monument's pathways. The few Stromlings that slipped past the turrets were killed by laser traps placed around the statue and soldiers guarding the area. The Stromlings then returned to the Battlefield and continued to slaughter any Nexus Force soldier that passed in their gaze. The battle continued deep into the night. Sentinels managed to establish beacons over the Battlefield, allowed the Sentinel Starfleet to drop Imagination bombs on the Stromling army. The distraction allowed the surviving Nexus Force members, which numbered to less then 200 minifigs, to flee to the Paradox Research Facility. The Stromling army disbanded and retreated into the Spider Cave or headed toward the Monument again. In the research facility, Commander Beck, Starcracker, Lee, and Melodie Foxtrot (the leaders of the Nexus Force on Avant Gardens) met in a private room. They were joined by Brikman McStudz and several other high-ranking individuals. At around 1 AM on January 31, the Facility recieved reports from Rusty Steele, another leader, that the Stromlings had broken through the Monument's defenses. Steele promised his troops would hold the Stromlings back as long as possible, but requested immediate backup. At 3 AM, the Spider Queen joined the Stromlings attacking the Monument. Steele ordered his troops to retreat to the Launch Area as the Spider Queen and her hatchlings climbed the Monument. The Stromlings marched into the Launch Area and viciously attacked Steele's troops. After a fierce battle that left several vendors dead, Steele and his troops fleed for Nimbus Station. The Paradox Research Facility's leaders began to consider retreat when they recieved word from Crash Helmut, Vance Bulwark, and Argo Butterchunks that the Spider Queen had created a nest on an Avant Grove property. Helmut suggested that if the Queen were to be destroyed, it could cripple the Stromling army severely and would allow the Nexus Force to defeat the army. Seeing no other option except for retreat, Beck, Starcracker, Lee, Foxtrot, McStudz, and a Venture League Buccaneer named Sam Netkowicks fought through waves of Stromlings from the Research Facility to the Launch Area. They each launched a rocket and met up with Helmut, Bulwark, and Butterchunks on the Spider Queen's property. Points of Interest Paradox Research Facility The Paradox Research Facility was built in Avant Gardens with the purpose of studying the destructive power of the Maelstrom and to harness the Maelstrom from the nearby mine. The Paradox Faction conducted many experiments on the Maelstrom here, safely away from the Stromling armies the plague other worlds such as the Forbidden Valley and Gnarled Forest. However, the Paradox took security very seriously, have several security mechs guarding the facility. The Paradox's most famous experiment was creating artificial Dark Spiderlings. However, the experiment went extremely wrong and a massive Maelstrom Spider named the Spider Queen was born. The Spider Queen and her Dark Spiderlings caused a massive explosion in the facility, destroying it and infecting almost every researcher and security mech. Following the destruction of the facility, the Stromling researchers and Mechs ran rampant in Avant Gardens, killing and infected numerous minifigs. However, Paradox Researcher Wisp Lee and Security Mech PRDX-4 escaped corruption, and managed to warn the Sentinels. The Sentinels soon arrived and helped repel the Stromling invasion. A few days later, the ruins of the Paradox Research Facility was used as a checkpoint following the corruption of the Venture Explorer. Recruits would land near the facility and be sent by Wisp Lee to the nearby Sentinel camp for further instruction. The Paradox Research Facility was later rebuilt in 2011 to serve as an outpost for the final battle between the Nexus Force and the Maelstrom. Many of its laboratories remain, but some have been outfitted as situation, war, and monitoring rooms. A Triceratops habitat is near the Paradox Research Facility that can only be reached with the help of a pet. Maelstrom Mine The Maelstrom Mine (sometimes known as the Spider Cave) is an underground area of Avant Gardens with a large concentration of Maelstrom energy. This area is the primary reason that the Paradox built their facility. The Paradox contantly pumped the Maelstrom into the facility until its untimely destruction. There was also a launch pad to the Block Yard properties. It was later severely crippled and made unusable. After the facility was destroyed, the Spider Queen fled into the Maelstrom Mine and spawned several Dark Spiderlings while it made its lair in a cave in the back of the mine. A thick Maelstrom fog and the endless waves of Dark Spiderlings prevents any Nexus Force member from approaching the Spider Queen's lair. The Spider Queen and the Dark Spiderlings rebuilt the launch pad in the Spider Cave, which allowed the Spider Queen to fly to a Block Yard property to take it over. When the Spider Queen left, the Maelstrom fog was weakened, allowing the Nexus Force to travel into the Spider Cave. Research in the cave led the Nexus Force to believe the Spider Queen was in the Block Yard property. In late 2011, the Maelstrom's forces in Avant Gardens retreated into the Maelstrom Mine to prepare for the the final battle against the Nexus Force, leaving Avant Gardens peacefully for the first time in a year. Sentinel Encampment The Sentinel Encampment is the Sentinel's outpost on Avant Gardens and their primary base (not counting Nexus Tower). After the Maelstrom outbreak, the Sentinel Starfleet established a camp outside the battlefield using pieces from the nearby wrecked highway. Sentinel Klaus Zett also built a vendor booth to sell armor, weapons, and other supplies. The Stromlings attempted to break through the camp to reach the Monument and Launch Area, but were quickly shot down by Sentinel Faction Guard armed with a shotgun. The Encampment is also home to several Dobermans that are up for adoption. After the Venture Explorer's destruction, refugee recruits were quickly escorted to safe Sentinel Camp. The commander of the camp, Beck Strongheart, had the recruits go and defend the camp while setting up beacons that would help the orbiting Sentinel Starfleet drop bombs past the Maelstrom atmosphere and on to the battlefield. Strongheart and the Sentinels at the camp also equiped the recruits with basic weapons and armor to help them make it through Avant Gardens. The Sentinel Encampment also hosts the entrance to the Survival challenge, where minifigs face endless waves of Stromlings to test their skills. Battlefield The Battlefield is the stretch of land between the Sentinel Encampment and the Paradox Research Facilitiy. It is home to a massive battle between the Stromlings and the Nexus Force (specifically, the Sentinels). The Stromlings are constantly attempted to get past the Sentinel Encampment so they may attack and destroy the Monument and Launch Area. However, the Sentinels have managed to keep the Stromlings back with air strikes, melee, and long ranged attacks. Monument The Assembly Monument is a construction project the Assembly began in late 2009 as a dedication and memorial to the minifigs who have fought and died in the battle against the Maelstrom. The massive statue depicts a minifig armed with a sword bravely fighting against a Stromling. Led by Site Manager Rusty Steele, the Assembly quickly went to work building it and by October 2010, the Monument was nearly completed. However, after the explosion at the Paradox Research Facility, the Monument was slightly damaged by several Stromlings before the Sentinels arrived. Construction was put on hold even further as refugees from the Venture Explorer began passing through the tunnel connecting the Sentinel Encampment with the Monument. The refugees made their way up the Monument until the reached the broken highway that led to the Launch Area. The run up the Monument became very popular with the Nexus Force. Assembly Surveyor Vector Longview decided to time minifigs that race up the Monument and post best times. Launch Area The Launch Area was built by the Venture League to allow the Nexus Force to easily travel between Nimbus Station and Avant Gardens. The Launch Area is home to several vendors who sell rocket parts, models, bricks, and gear. It is also home several picnickers. The Launch Area's main launchpad allowed easy travel to Nimbus Station. The Nexus Force have also built launchpads to the orbiting property worlds Block Yard and Avant Grove. In 2011, the Nexus Force also built a launchpad so the Nexus Force could return to the Maelstrom-corrupted Venture League to recover files concerning Nexus Tower. There is also a small buffalo habitat near the Block Yard Launch Pad. Properties Avant Gardens is orbited by millions of small and medium-sized chunks of Crux, each infected with the Maelstrom. The Nexus Force has allowed soldiers to fly to these chunks and cleanse chunks of the Maelstrom. Following the Maelstrom's defeat, soldiers could claim the properties to build whatever they want on them. The small properties, called Block Yard, are claimed from guard Vance Bulwark while the medium-sized properties, called Avant Grove, are claimed from Argo Butterchunks. Both are regulated by Crash Helmut at the Launch Area. In 2011, the Spider Queen left the Spider Cave via an abandoned launchpad and headed to a Block Yard property. The property was promptly tooken over. On August 9 that same year, the Nexus Force began sending soldiers to the Block Yard property to fight the Spider Queen. Despite defeating the Spider Queen once, the Maelstrom Spider continually escapes death and takes control of another Block Yard. Later in the year, the Spider Queen returned to Avant Gardens to prepare for the final battle. Notable Residents "†" means the said minifig is deceased. Nexus Force *Crash Helmut (Property Launch Pad Guard) *Vance Bulwark (Property Guard) *Argo Butterchunks (Property Guard) Sentinels *Beck Strongheart (Commander) *Epsilon Starcracker (Scout) *Melodie Foxtrot (Agent) *Fitz Vanderbuilt (Engineer) *Theo Balfour (Grunt) *Klaus Zett (Vendor) *Unnamed Sentinel guard Paradox *Wisp Lee (Researcher) *PRDX-4 (Security Mech) Assembly *Rusty Steele (Monument Foreman) *Brutus Speck (Vendor) Venture League *Kit Wanderwhere† (Scout) (Grunt) *Sky Lane (Explorer) (Captain) *Vector Longview (former Assembly Surveyor) (Scout) (Grunt) Others *Oliver Sudden (Foot Race Host) *Hu Where (Ninja) *Swabby Bilgebarrel (Pirate) *Dusty Holster (Cowboy) *Kirsten Quasar (Astronaut) *Eekums (Monkey) *Sofia Almalgam (Gear Vendor) *Darby Snapwish (Brick Vendor) *Wally Hornswaggle (Pirate) (nonpernament) Maelstrom *Spider Queen (Artificial Maelstrom Spider) *Dark Spiderlings *Stromling Researchers *Stromling Mech Trivia *Avant Gardens is based off the LEGO Universe world of the same name. Category:Crux Category:LEGO Universe (game) Category:Nimbus Galaxy Category:Locations